In this week's edition of Sports Illustrated, Sheffield said he applied a steroid known as "the cream" on his surgically scarred right leg to heal wounds, though he insisted he didn't know it was a steroid. Sheffield said he used the drug before and during the 2002 season.

Sheffield trained with Bonds in the Bay Area in the winter of 2001-02. Sheffield said he was unaware of any performance-enhancing drugs Bonds might have used but was scathing in his description of his former friend.

"(Bonds) said, 'I got guys here, they can get your urine and blood and prescribe a vitamin specifically for your blood type and what your body needs, ' " Sheffield told the magazine. "And that's what I did."

Sheffield said Bonds had insisted on paying all expenses but later was told by one of Bonds' assistants that he had to settle his tab with the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative.

"I called BALCO. 'Do I owe you anything?' " Sheffield said. " 'Well, you have a bill. ...' I told my wife, 'You write the check.' That's how I got linked to BALCO."

According to Sheffield, Bonds introduced him to his weight trainer, Greg Anderson, and BALCO owner Victor Conte, who were among four men indicted on charges of conspiring to distribute steroids to elite athletes. Sheffield said he met Bonds' other handlers, including his stretching coach.

Sheffield told the magazine his friendship with Bonds ended that winter. In 2002, Sheffield hit .307 with 25 homers and 84 RBIs for the Atlanta Braves.

"I had my worst year ever," he said. "I gave him too much credit. When you listen to another person on an everyday basis drill into you numbers, numbers, numbers, and you've never been that way, it doesn't work. I don't play for numbers. When I played to try to get numbers, I didn't get them."

Bonds has 703 career homers, third all time, and ended his 2004 season by winning the NL batting crown and setting records for on-base percentage, walks and intentional walks.

Bonds' attorney, Michael Rains, said he didn't know enough to comment on his client's personal relationship with Sheffield. Rains did say, though, that Sheffield's comments about performance-enhancing drugs were consistent with his statements all along regarding Bonds.

"I guess one thing I was struck with is that although Sheffield claims to have been introduced to Barry's inner sanctum of trainers and the like, he still claims to have no knowledge that Barry was given or ever took anything that would be considered to be illegal," Rains said.

"The only thing Greg Anderson does is what Barry tells him to do," Sheffield said. "Barry ran everything. If I'm training and if he sees Greg making me do one curl too many, it's an argument: 'I told you, don't have him do no more than he needs!' So I knew Greg was a puppet. All these guys around (Bonds) were puppets.

"They used to confide in me about how they hated it. I told them, 'You knew what you were getting into. You accept his money. You accept the status when you're around him. But you don't want to deal with the backlash of what comes out of his mouth, and you want to complain to me.' "

Sheffield said Bonds hired away his chef by offering a car and home and paying off a student loan and later asked Sheffield why he no longer employed the chef.

"That's the kind of person I found out I was dealing with," Sheffield said. "To me, I don't want friends like that. I never will have friends like that."

According to the magazine, Bonds, through a spokesperson, declined to address Sheffield's comments but said, "I wish nothing but the best for Gary. I want him to win the MVP. He deserves it."